CORVALLIS, Ore. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team earned what is believed to be its first win over a top 6 opponent since 1983 by beating the No. 6 Oregon State Beavers 9-7 on Wednesday at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field.
The last time UTRGV is known to have defeated a top 6 program is May 21-22 1983, winning three of four at No. 1 Wichita State.
This is UTRGV's first win over a ranked team since Feb. 18, 2025, a 15-5 neutral site victory vs. No. 20 Dallas Baptist at Globe Life Field.
This is UTRGV's first road win over a ranked opponent since April 30, 2019, a 6-3 victory at No. 10 Texas Tech.
This is UTRGV's first win over a team with a single-digit ranking since March 14, 2012, a 5-2 win at No. 8 Texas A&M.
Three Vaqueros (21-25) had multi-hit games, led by junior
Armani Raygoza, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk, two RBI, and a career-high tying three runs scored. Raygoza has now homered in four-straight games for the first time in his career. He has 17 home runs this season, matching last season's total and tied for the fourth-highest single-season total in program history, and 40 for his career, extending his lead as the program's all-time home run king. Raygoza now has 136 RBI, tying the program record held by
Vinnie Mejia (2010-12).
Junior
Rocco Garza Gongora finished 2-for-5 with a career-high tying two doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored. Junior
Easton Moomau went 2-for-5 with two RBI.
The Vaqueros loaded the bases with nobody out in the third on singles by seniors
Hank Warren and
Damien Whitfield against
Connor Mendez (1-3) and a walk by junior
Chayton Fischer. Garza Gongora hit a two-run double to right-center. Raygoza walked to re-load the bases, setting up a two-out, two-run single by Moomau and an RBI-single by graduate student PSJA alum
Diego Villescas to put the Vaqueros up 5-0.
Senior Los Fresnos alum
Víctor Loa retired the first five batters and nine of the first 10 he faced. In the fourth, though, the Beavers (34-10) loaded the bases with one out, setting up an
Ethan Porter two-run double.
Paul Vazquez followed with a sacrifice fly to make the score 5-3.
Loa pitched a season-high 4.2 innings, striking out three.
The Vaqueros got one of those runs back in the fifth as Raygoza launched a 437' home run to center to make the score 6-3.
The Beavers put a runner at third with one out in the sixth.
Paul Vazquez hit an RBI-single off senior
Anthony Garcia (2-1). Later in the inning, with runners at second and third and two outs, Garcia struck out
Easton Talt on a wild pitch, allowing Talt to reach and Vazquez to score to make the score 6-5.
Garcia struck out a career-high tying five in 3.0 innings of relief.
In the seventh, Raygoza hit a one-out single ahead of a 407' Ramirez home run to left to extend the Vaqueros' lead to 8-5. It was Ramirez's 10
th home run of the season.
In the eighth, Garza Gongora hit a one-out double and Raygoza hit a two-out, RBI-single to push the Vaqueros' lead to 9-5.
The Beavers got two back in the eighth, putting two on with two out ahead of a Talt two-run double to make the score 9-7.
Senior
Caden Wanless pitched 1.1 scoreless innings for his first career save.
UTRGV returns home for its final three regular season games by opening the series against UIW Friday at 6:30 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. It's Lucha Libre Night, presented by Whataburger. New Breed Wrestling will stage a pregame Lucha Libre wrestling match on the concourse and fans will be able to take photos with the wrestlers and in the ring throughout the game. The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive Lucha Libre masks. The media sponsor for the event is KYWW Puro Tejano 1530 AM and KGBT 98.5 La Preferida.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at
UTRGVTickets.com. Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with a digital ticket that can be acquired at
GoUTRGV.com/StudentTickets while also showing their student ID. Fans can learn more about game day, including parking information, maps, and the clear bag policy, by visiting
RallyTheValley.com.
Fans can watch domestically on
ESPN+ or internationally via
Southland International.
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